Reverse rigging arrangement for tower



July 24, 1962 R. L. SLAGLE REVERSE RIGGING ARRANGEMENT FOR TOWER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 22, 1960 INVENTOR. Roe/5m- L, Suva/.15 ZMW v? ATTOENE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2:

July 24, 1962 R. L. SLAGLE REVERSE RIGGING ARRANGEMENT FOR TOWER Filed July 22, 1960 m R m M 1 m L MT H Q N a E M m 2 w HE E Q M 5 AMIK x T R; :L n T 3 5 T 1 omi o @Pow. mm mm mw mm .W\ Q\ Q 5 E5 5 wkw m .Mm.

United btates ticc 3,045,973 REVERSE RIGGING ARRANGEMENT FOR TOWER Robert L. Slagle, Seattle, Wash, assignor to Berger Industries Incorporated, a corporation of Washington Filed July 22, 196-1 Ser. No. 44,712 4 Claims. (Cl. 254-4391) This invention relates to logging operations and more particularly to improvements in spars for use in cable systems of logging where a main line cable and haul-back or straw line are employed in the operation and are extended over fairleaders at the top end of the spar.

In recent years, the lack of suitable standing trees that could be used as spars in a logging operation of the present character, has given rise to the use of portable, fabricated metal spars that may be transported horizontally from place to place by truck or tractor and erected and guyed at selected places of use.

It is well known by persons engaged in logging operations, that the usual arc of logging about a spar, without resetting of the yarder engine is about 180 to 200 degrees. Thus, to yard over a full circle, about a central spar, it is required that the yarder engine be moved from one side of the spar to the other. Such resetting of the engine requires re-rigging of the spar and a readjustment of guy lines. The operation of turning a portable spar to accommodate the cables to the position of the yarder engine, usually requires that it be lowered; transported to a turning point, returned to its selected place of use and again erected, guyed and rigged, all of which is an expensive and time consuming operation that is desirable to avoid and has brought about the present invention.

It has been one of the principal objects of this invention to provide a fabricated, portable spar that embodies novel and practical equipment in connection therewith that makes possible the re-rigging of the spar to accommodate the position of the yarder engine without necessitating any change in its position and without replacing or any re-setting of guy lines.

More specifically, the object of the present invention is to provide a fabricated spar that is characterized by the incorporation therewith of novel and simple means for eifecting a re-threading of the main-line and haul-back lines through the spar to the fairleader block in a manner that eliminates the necessity of spar turning for logging in arcs at opposite sides of the spar.

Further objects reside in the combination of parts, and in their mode of use for their intended purposes, as will hereinafter be fully described.

In accomplishing the above mentioned and other -bjects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a fabricated metal spar embodying the improvements of the present invention therein, shown as erected and rigged for normal use.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the upper end portion of the spar, showing the positions of the fairleaders and cable guides, as mounted therein. Also, showing the location of the cable passing slots in the sides of the spar.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, axial section of the upper end portion of the spar, showing the fairleader mounting block as applied thereto and the threading therethrough of the cables to the fairleaders or sheaves mounted therein.

FIGS. 4 through 7 illustrate schematically the successive operations of re-threading the main line and haulback cables through the spar for logging in an arc opposite that for which the yarder engine is positioned in FIG. 1.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

In FIG. 1, I have shown a fabricated spar embodying the improvements of the present invention therein as erected for a normal logging operation. Also, this view shows, in part, a vehicle suitable for transporting and erecting the spar but which is not a part of the present invention. It is to be understood that the logging operation necessitates the use of power operated cable winding drums for hauling in and pulling out the main-line and haul back line. The drums employed may be the usual cable winding drums as provided in a yarder engine and such yarder engines may either be mounted for transportation on the spar transporting vehicle here shown, or may be entirely independent thereof, as in the past.

In FIG. 1 of the drawings the yarder engine is represented by reference letter E and the cable winding drums are designated by reference members d and d.

In the several views of the drawings, the spar of this invention is designated in its entirety by reference numeral 10. It is here shown to be pivotally supported at its lower end on a suitable base plate 12 and its upper end is equipped with a plurality of eyelets 13 to which spar guying lines 14 are attached in the usual way to properly support the erected spar. Also, at its top end, the spar mounts a fairleader block comprising upper and lower portions 15 and 15' in which lower and upper sheave wheels 16 and 17 are mounted on horizontal axes for the passing thereover, respectively, of the main line cable 18 and haul-back cable 19. It is further to be understoood that the fairleader block as therein provided has a tubular mounting stem or shank 20 at its lower end fitted in the upper end of the spar for easy turning of the block assembly about the central vertical axial line of the spar. Also, it is to be preferred that the two portions 15 and 15' of the blocks are relatively rotatable. The details of construction of the block and its mounting means are not important beyond the requirement that the parts 15 and 15 can be easily rotatably adjusted about the common axial line and that its tubular mounting stem permits the cables 18 and 19 to be passed therethrough in being wound in or payed out over the sheaves 16 and 17 from the cable winding drums as in the usual logging operation.

The spar itself is tubular or hollow, as indicated, and mounted therein within its upper end portion, on laterally spaced horizontal axles 22-22 as in FIG. 3, are paired sheave wheels 2323 and between and against which the cables 18 and 19 can engage respectively, in passing from the sheaves 16 and 17 to their respective winding drums d and d. It is further to be observed that the spar 10 is formed in its opposite sides, below the laterally spaced pairs of sheaves, with elongated slots 242-4 best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, through which the two cables can lead to either side of the threaded spar in passing to or from the cable winding drums, depending on which side of the spar the yarder engine may be located Another feature of the present invention resides in the mounting within the hollow spar of a continuous cable belt 28 which, at its upper end passes over a roller or sheave 30 that is horizontally mounted in the spar somewhat below the pairs of sheaves, as in FIG. 3, and at its lower end passes about a sheave 31 mounted in the lower end portion of the spar. The opposite side portions of this continuous belt 28 lead outwardly from sheave 30, through the lower end portions of the slots 24-24 to the outside of the spar and then continue downwardly along opposite sides of the spar and about the sheave 31, as has been shown in FIG. 1.

Assuming that the spar has been erected and rigged properly and that a yarder engine E has been located, as in FIG. 1, for logging at the right of the spar, the procedure for making the necessary cable change for logging at the opposite side of the spar would be as follows:

First, the main line 18 is caused to be wound in on its winding drum at until its outer end is located at the base of the spar as in FIG. 4. Then, to this end of the main line,

a relatively short length of tag line 40' is attached. To avoid confusion the tag line is herein shown as a dash line.

The main line 18 is then farther wound in on the drum d to cause the tag line 40 to be pulled upward over the fairleader sheave 16 thence downwardly between the pairs of guide sheaves 2323 and outwardly through slot 24 to the drum d with its opposite or free end portion hanging along the opposite side of the spar, as shown in FIG. 5.

The tag line 40 is then detached from the end of the main line 18 and is temporarily tied to the adjacent run of the reversing belt 28, as at the point x in FIG. 6. Then, the reversing belt is caused to be run over the pulleys 30 and 31 in the direction of the arrows r adjacent thereto in FIG. 5, thus causing that end of the tag line 40 that is releasably secured thereto to be brought up to and over the sheave or roller 30' and thence out through slot 24 to the right side of the spar and down to the lower end thereof as in FIG. 6. The movement or operation of the belt 18 may be accomplished manually or if desired, a small motor (not shown) may be employed. The yarder engine may now be relocated at the right of the spar. The end of the tag line 40 is now detached from the reversing belt 28, at point x, and that same end attached to the end of the main line as extended from the cable winding drum d of the reset yarder. Then the tag line 40 which still is threaded over the sheave wheel 16 as in FIG. 6, then run back, by means on its free end portion, in direction of arrow 1 in FIG. 6, thus to draw the end of the main line 18 up and through slot 24-; between the pairs of guide sheaves 2323 and over sheave 16 and, with this accomplished, the entire sheave block assembly can, by pull on the tag line and/ or main line, be swung to the left side of the spar in which it has been shown in FIG. 7.

The re-threading of the haul-back line 19, the position of which has not been changed, may then be carried out in exactly the same way as described in connection with the re-threading of the main line and need not be further described.

With the spar 10 provided with the above described means, and by following the re-threading procedure, as

above given, the necessity of turning the spar for yarding in arcs at opposite sides thereof is eliminated; the time loss and work expense is eliminated and a faster and more expeditious logging operation is made possible.

This re-threading operation applies equally to systems where either one or more cables may be employed.

What I claim as new is:

1. A cable logging system including a spar equipped at its top end with a self-aligning fairleader, opposed cable passing openings in the sidewalls of said spar below said fairleader, a logging cable operable through said openings and fairleader to a logging area at one side of the spar, an independently movable yarder including an engine and cable winding drum located at the other side of said spar, a belt carrier and guiding means mounted in said spar below said cable passing openings, a belt operable over said carrier with opposite side portions thereof passing outwardly through said opposed cable passing openings and depending at opposite sides of the spar to provide means by which the end of said logging cable passing downwardly through said fairleader and one of said openings may be attached to said belt and threaded through said cable passing openings from one side of the spar to the other to accommodate the cable to the position of the yarder on opposite sides of said spar.

2. A cable logging system as in claim 1 wherein a second belt carrier and guiding means is positioned adjacent the base of the spar and the belt is a continuous, closed loop.

3. A cable logging system as in claim 1 including a tubular mounting stern on the upper end of said spar and said fairleader being rotatably mounted on said stem whereby said fairleader is free to rotate 360.

4. A cable logging system as in claim 1 wherein the spar is positioned on the ground and is detachably secured to said yarder adjacent the base thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 524,247 Hadfield Aug. 7, 1894 983,064 Kerr Jan. 31, 1911 2,883,068 McIntyre Apr. 21, 1959 

